Romanian prime minister Florin Cîțu said he wasn't considering placing the Bucharest metropolitan area under quarantine. The authorities were instead looking at the option of expanding the use of the Covid green pass.

The National Institute of Public Health officially requested such a measure for 14 days because the incidence rate has exceeded 15 (to thousand residents), Hotnews.ro reported.

The official request was submitted to the Ministry of Health and the head of the Emergency Situations Service (DSU) Raed Arafat.

A final decision on placing Bucharest under quarantine is still expected.

Under existing regulations, the quarantine is enacted by the DSU at the recommendation of the National Institute of Public health, but the decision must be later ratified (within 48 hours) by the National Committee for Emergency Situations (CNSU), a body headed by PM Cîțu.

Instead of enforcing the quarantine, PM Cîțu envisages conditioning the access to all economic activities on the so-called "Covid green pass".

Cîțu wants to introduce the Covid green pass "as soon as possible", including for entering stores.

"For any economic activity we have in Romania, where we come into contact with people, we must have the green certificate," PM Cîțu stated, quoted by Hotnews.ro.

(Photo: Cateyeperspective | Dreamstime.com)

andrei@romania-insider.com